Her
by Sorii
Summary: It's been two years since Hao disappeared. Two years. Takes place before and after the storyline. Oneshot. AUish, a bit of OOCness. HaoxOC. Songs used : Leave Out All The Rest - Linkin Park & Far Away - Nickelback.


**A/N : So yeah. Second fic! I'm REALLY proud. I admit I sort of rushed the last part, but yeah, besides that, I'm really happy (: I managed to complete my goal! I know this is a bit boring (it seemed like a good idea at first...) but please, please, R&R! Thank you!**

**Warning : Hao is OOC in this. Sort of. At certain parts he's IC. Oh, and later on, when you read the part with brackets [ ], it's to mean that it was originally supposed to be crossed out. I wrote it with a strikeout on OpenOffice, but FFnet doesn't let us use strikeout... so yeah...  
**

It was today.

Today was the day Asakura Hao disappeared.

The fated day that he had just up and left, without another word

Chizu felt dead. Today was the anniversary of his disappearance; December 5th. Her birthday. He would have been 16, celebrating her birthday with her.

Two full years. Damn, had it _really _been that long?

The weak sunlight filtered in past her drawn red curtains, playing on her face. Squinting, she squeezed her eyes closed and rolled onto her side, curling into herself. It was a cold winter day, with snow sitting on the ground outside. Her bed was warm and cold at the same time; warm with her own body heat, cold from the absence of her loved one.

She shivered involuntary, although not from the cold. Opening her eyes just a crack, she could see the nearly dark room engulfing her entire being, willing her to go back to sleep. However, today was a special day. She couldn't just mull around being depressed in bed.

Reluctantly getting up, she rubbed the drowsiness from her eyes, then running her fingers absentmindedly through her long cobalt hair. She bit down on her lip; that was a habit that _he_ used to do.

--

"_Your hair is so soft, you know that?" Hao murmured against the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent. "As soft as the clouds. Maybe even as soft as your lips." Chizu chuckled softly, reaching back and pulling him closer to her. _

_"Not as silky as yours, of course," She mused, closing her eyes and enjoying the moment. Chizu felt the grip around her waist become tighter, dragging her closer to him. She laid her head against his bare chest, reveling in the sheer perfection of his abs. _

_"I'll never let you go for as long as I live, because you will always be mine," Hao purred in her ear, his eyes lidded and his voice laced with velvet. Chizu didn't reply; she knew that he already knew her answer. For now, she was savoring where they were; snuggling together on an oversized plush red armchair in front of a crackling fire, sitting on his lap with two mugs of hot chocolate on the coffee table in front of them. The snow outside fell in small drifts, casting the winter wonderland look over Japan. _

_"We'll always be together no matter what. No one can tear us apart; not the humans, not the world; no gods will be able to make us stop loving each other. So promise me that you'll never leave my side, okay Hao?" Chizu murmured, drifting off to sleep. He hugged her tightly, making sure she was comfortable and warm in his arms._

_"I promise." _

_--_

Chizu sat up on top of her bed, the light blue linen covers strewn out and her queen-sized bed a mess. The strap of her sunshine yellow tank top fell down her shoulder as she leaned on her arm, looking around her. As her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, she yawned, a dull ache in her chest. She moved and got off the bed, changing out of her tank top and shorts and into a dark blue sweater and black skinny jeans, complete with a thin gray scarf hanging around her neck. She yanked a brush through her hair, satisfied when it was knot-free. It was then she headed out her room, down the hall, and to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face.

As Chizu splashed water on her face, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. There were dark lines underneath her eyes, and her eyes seemed sunken in, despite having gotten a sufficient amount of sleep. Her lips were thin and her mouth was curved in a tight frown. Her skin's pallor differed from normality; it was pale, paler than usual, and cold. Then again, she was always cold. Heaving in a deep breath, she covered her eyes with her left hand and sank onto the toilet seat next to her, letting the water run down her face.

The question always remained : did he really affect her this much?

Chizu roughly shoved this thought aside-- it was her birthday, she should be happy! Instead, she was spending it miserably, alone. She stood up after a few minutes of painful silence, finishing brushing her teeth.

As she walked towards the kitchen, she realized how utterly _soundless_ her home was. The only thing accompanying her were her own footsteps, and even then they were muffled against the thick carpet. Chizu reached up into the cabinets above the sink, pulling out a box of cereal and a ceramic bowl. She then took out a carton of milk, pouring a bit into the bowl and dumping some of the cereal in. She grabbed a spoon from a drawer and ate slowly, unaware of the fact that the milk was a week expired and the cereal stale. She ate on numbly, her eyes unseeing and her body unfeeling.

At last she couldn't take it any longer. She put her spoon down, despite the fact that her food wasn't even half finished. The once torpid feeling in her chest flared into a raging fire, burning her. Chizu's once innocuous features distorted into a frustrated, confused young woman. It had been this way for two years. Ever since he left. Left her like a broken toy, something that was outdated. Like trash. Without even a single word. Not even a goodbye.

A single tear escaped as she felt it slide down her cheek.

Roughly brushing it away, she poured the rest of her breakfast down the drain and left the bowl in the sink, unwashed. She would do the dishes later. Her spirit, the Spirit of Rain, gingerly tapped her window from the outside.

"_Master,_" it whispered, its azure figure rippling with the wind. Its voice was like the waves crashing on the beach shore. "_Master, can you hear me?_"

"Mmm," Chizu muttered in reply, sinking into a chair in the living room in front of a blank TV screen. "Rain, what is it?" Her voice was so incredibly hoarse from not speaking it was a wonder her spirit could even understand her.

"_Master, you need to cease this pointless depression-- you are ruining your life as it is. I am torn apart by seeing this pathetic shadow of my once great master. I have faith that Master Hao--_"

"Do not say his name," Chizu snapped. She had been irritable and angry ever since he left. After all, it was natural she felt that way; he was the first person who had ever accepted her. "I don't want to talk about it. It's been two years, Rain. Two years! And not even a single letter to say where he is, or what he's doing. I'm fucking tired of waiting."

"_But, Master--_"

"This discussion is closed."

Chizu bit her lip as she drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs to keep herself warm. She laid her head atop, her eyes gazing blankly ahead as her mind flipped through her memories.

She sighed. Rain was right. She was being utterly pathetic.

Chizu turned her head towards the oaken table next to the kitchen; the drawers were filled with letters, letters she had written yet never sent. It was there that Chizu headed towards next, grabbing a random letter amongst the many that were crammed into the tiny space that the drawer allowed. Neatly unfolding it, she sank back down onto her chair and read the letter.

Her first impression was that she must have written this a few months after his leave; it wasn't as depressing as some others, but it wasn't as hopeful as some too. The ink was smudged in some places, giving it a more older look and feel. The constant scratch outs showed that she clearly hadn't thought it out before writing it.

_April 4__th__, 1999_

_[__My Dearest Hao,__]_

_Dear Hao, _

_[__How have you been?__] How are you? [__I'm just writing this letter to assure myself that I'm not going crazy.__] It's been a while since I last saw you. I do hope you're faring well. Albeit a bit surprised when you left, I have been doing alright. It's been quiet and boring around here since you left; all I do all day is [__mope around the house being depressed after your disappearance__] sleeping in every day and going for occasional rides on Tsuki. You know, enjoying nature as it is... before the humans destroy it all. _

_I miss you. [__I don't know if you miss me too, but__] I'm sure you're very busy, wherever you are. Hope you can come back soon. The days drag on without you here with me. Even Rain is missing you... so please, come back soon, [__or at least send a letter, or a messenger, or something...__] Well, I have to make dinner now. I'll talk to you some other time. _

_[__Love,__]  
Sincerely,_

_Chizu_

After finishing that letter, she scrunched the paper up in frustration and threw it out the window, letting the Spirit of Rain catch it.

"Destroy it," Chizu grumbled, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"_But Master,_" Rain protested. "_Isn't littering a dirty __**human**__ habi--_"

"**Just get rid of it.**"

The Spirit of Rain paused, allowing its master's words to sink in before finally just swallowing the letter whole, breaking it down into tiny molecules so its body could absorb it.

Finally she grit her teeth in vexation; she needed fresh air.

Chizu got up and slipped on her black jacket on, buttoning up the front and grabbing the keys off the table to her left, shoving them deep into the pocket of her jeans. She then pulled the front door open, letting the cold blast of wind hit her fully in the face for a few moments before closing the door behind her and locking it.

The snow had let up just a few minutes ago. The land all around her was iced over in soft snow, as white as the clouds. Chizu shivered involuntarily as she rubbed her arms for warmth, her breath coming out in little wisps of smoke. The Spirit of Rain glided over to her, eying its master curiously.

"_Out for a morning ride, Master?_" It asked, watching as Chizu walked over to the stables.

"Yeah," Chizu replied. "I need the air. The suffocation is getting to my head." Her spirit chuckled in reply, sounding like a thousand raindrops hitting the ground.

The stables were comforting; the fresh hay that lay on the ground was inviting, and her opaque mare whinnied happily, glad to see her rider. "Come, Tsuki-- time for a little ride," Chizu beckoned, opening up the gate that held her back. She snorted in agreement, trotting forward to meet her. Chizu monotonously began to saddle her, making little adjustments as she readied her horse. When she was done, she lithely hopped onto her back and grabbed the reins, urging Tsuki forward. The Spirit of Rain followed them from a distance, always watching its master.

The snow began to fall again, this time slowly, and in smaller drifts. A few stray flakes landed in her hair, but Chizu didn't notice-- instead, she urged Tsuki forward, farther from her home and closer to her destination. The landscape slowly turned from the outskirts of a city to the untouched parts of nature, pure and breathtaking. Tsuki trotted timidly into a forest thick with snow and ice, the frosty air biting at her. Occasionally a clump of snow would fall on top of her or Chizu's head, and the mare would then snort indignantly.

Finally, she pulled on the reins when they reached a small clearing in the middle of the forest. The Spirit of Rain remained silent it observed its surroundings, taking in the sheer beauty of it all. In the middle was a lake, a lake that seemed like it was made of a million crystals, all twinkling in the little light that there was to offer during the winter time. Its surface reflected the image of all the trees leaning in towards it; it was so picture-perfect, one could have easily mistaken it for an oversized mirror. The only thing that gave it away as a lake were the tiny ripples of water that disturbed the top.

Chizu slid off Tsuki, stretching her limbs; they were always stiff after a ride. She stepped towards the edge of the lake, her heart aching.

This was the place where she had first met him, on this very spot, three years ago.

--

"_It's beautiful, isn't it?"_

_Chizu turned around in surprise to see a boy around her age standing behind her, holding out his hand as snowflakes fell and melted in his palm. Her first thought was : what a strange guy; who wears their hair so long? His chocolate brown hair fell near his waist, with extremely long front bangs on either side of his face. He had piercing black eyes that seemed to speak for themselves, like they was warning off those who didn't know what they were doing. Hanging from his ears were huge dark round earrings with a star insignia in the middle; they looked pretty heavy. He has a loose brown traveling cloak wrapped around his body._

_"...Who are you?" Chizu asked cautiously, her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized the strange boy. He didn't _seem_ dangerous; then again, she had learned that not all people were what they seem to be. He was calm; too calm, for her liking. She immediately disliked him._

_A soft smile was slapped on his face, his hand still outstretched towards thin air. The snow was getting lighter every second... although just around the clearing, which Chizu found strange. Could it be that he could control the weather?_

_No. Impossible. She quickly shook the thought from her mind._

_"Don't you love the snow? Of course, once I become Shaman King, I'll be able to make it snow like this every day," He said quietly._

_Suspicion took over her senses. Shaman King? This boy was a shaman as well? "...What is your name?" She questioned again, never taking her eyes off of him. _

_"Asakura Hao." Hao replied, switching his gaze to her. His eyes ran up and down her body, taking in every curve and every detail, his smile still on his face. "You're pretty." He said bluntly, grinning widely._

_"W-what?!" Chizu stuttered, embarrassed. Her face was flushed a deep crimson; she could feel the heat emanating from her cheeks. She took a step backwards, almost tripping over her own two feet. This caused Hao to grin even wider._

_"Come now, don't deny it-- I know you are a shaman as well." She stared at him incredulously. How could he have known? She had not made contact with another human in over ten years-- and those who she had known must have long forgotten her. Besides, she hadn't even had her spirit back then! "You wield the Spirit of Rain; I possess the Spirit of Fire. They are natural enemies. I would have been led to you eventually by my spirit, no matter how much I go against it." He said with a wave of his hand, dismissing the matter. _

_"What do you want?" Chizu growled suddenly. The only people who knew that she controlled the Spirit of Rain were the Patch elders, and he certainly didn't look like one. As if on cue, the Spirit of Rain appeared from behind the trees, gliding gracefully towards its master. "Why are you here?"_

_Hao chuckled, but his voice was devoid of humor. "Feisty, are we now? Well that's fine; I like my women to have fire," He said, his eyes twinkling mischievously. He raised his hand dramatically. "Spirit of Fire!" _

_Chizu gaped in awe as, literally, the Spirit of Fire began to materialize out of thin air. It was at least three times the size of the Spirit of Rain, towering over them and standing well above the tops of the 50 foot trees surrounding them. Chizu took a step back, but the Spirit of Rain stayed put, never taking its eyes from its polar opposite._

_"Impressive, isn't it?" Hao called, looking up at his spirit in pride. "Its size increases every time it consumes a spirit."_

_"Consumes a spirit?" Chizu asked disbelievingly. What would that mean? That he came here to _eat_ the Spirit of Rain?_

_"Yes; and as you can see, my spirit is at least twice the size of your puny one. Your furyoku must be quite low." Hao observed, that annoying smirk still on his face. Chizu grit her teeth in agitation. Who did he think he was, to try and devour her own spirit?_

_"Well, we aren't going down without a fight! Isn't that right, Rain?!" Chizu shouted. She hesitantly began to take a few steps forward, towards him. His smug look only grew once he saw her wavering footsteps. "Go, Rain! Freeze his little flame!" _

_The Spirit of Rain shot forward with amazing speed, its body trailing behind it with a stream of water. Hao looked on amusedly as the Spirit of Rain wound its body around its larger counterpart, making its way up to the top. The Spirit of Fire struggled a bit, not really trying to escape the watery bonds that held it. Chizu watched anxiously as her ally fought to reach all the way to the top and freeze its body over. She smiled in relief as the Spirit of Fire became immobile, due to the ice encasing its body. _

_With a roar, it easily broke free. _

Crap,_ she thought. _At this rate...!

_Her spirit was knocked back, thrown against the trees. "Rain!" Chizu cried out, sprinting over even though it had not yet stopped flying backwards. It finally halted after tearing down at least twenty trees, knocked out. _

_"Peh," Hao scoffed, tossing his hair behind his shoulder. "That was _too_ easy. And here I thought you would actually put up somewhat of a fight, your ally being a spirit of nature, after all. I guess I was wrong."_

_"How could you do that!" Chizu shouted, furious. "Rain may be a spirit of nature, but that doesn't mean that she's violent!" Hao laughed loudly at this._

_"She? You're even giving them a gender? How amusing!" Hao mocked. Chizu ground her teeth as she crouched low next to her spirit, almost in a guarding position. Hao smirked. "Resorting to protecting a spirit with your body? **Pathetic**. To think I even _considered_ you to be my follower." He took a few steps forward towards the pair, a lazy, sadistic smile on his face._

_Chizu suddenly shot up from her crouch, giving him her worst scowl that she could manage. "Yeah, well you'll see that's not all we have! Rain!" In an instant the watery spirit was up again, ready for battle. The Spirit of Rain launched ahead towards Hao this time, quickly engulfing him in a spherical watery prison. Despite being encased all around with water suffocating him, he managed to grin through it all. With a slight wave of his hand, the liquid evaporated like it had never been there, and he emerged, totally dry. _

_Chizu's mouth was open in shock. Just who _was_ Asakura Hao? Suddenly he was next to her before she could blink, his face only inches away from hers. He was so close that she could feel his warm, sweet breath on her cheeks. She noted that he smelled like pine-- wait wait, she shouldn't be thinking this! She could die at any moment now!_

_Hao gently cupped her chin and forced her to look up at him. A small smile played on his lips as he looked at her, studying her, observing her. "Like I said, you _are_ beautiful," He murmured to himself in quiet admiration. Chizu adamantly kept her gaze from him, turning her head so that she didn't have to look at his perfect ebony orbs he called eyes. A dark heated flush covered her cheeks as she tried desperately to hide it. _

_"If you're going to kill me now, do it," Chizu murmured harshly. She yanked herself out of Hao's grip, stumbling back a few steps to glower at him. Hao frowned; he wasn't used to being defied. He seemed to strike fear into people's hearts, apparently. "I'd rather die then serve under you, one who uses nature so carelessly," She spat. _

_"Even if I do... this?" Hao muttered as he quickly covered the ground between them and pressed his lips to hers._

--

She didn't know how long she'd been sitting here. An hour? Two hours? Four? The sun overhead was covered by clouds, and just a few slimmers made it through to shine upon the land. It wasn't until she realized that her butt was numb that she noticed she'd been sitting there far too long.

Chizu got up, brushing the snow off her bottom. The frozen water sent shivers up her arm when her bare hands made contact with it. Tsuki was asleep a whiles away, the only signs of life being her chest rising up and down slowly.

It had begun snowing again. It fell softly and slowly around her, just like that day. She felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes, but she forcefully held them back. Chizu tilted her head back to look up at the cloud-filled sky. It was overcast; the clouds themselves seemed like they were crying frozen tears, pitying her. She scowled. She was Chizu, the master of the Spirit of Rain! She didn't need their pity!

"STOP IT!" She screamed at the clouds. Her voice felt hoarse and strained at the amount of energy she put into that. "Stop it right now! It shouldn't snow! Not today," She collapsed onto her knees, sobbing quietly. "Not today..."

The Spirit of Rain formed silently beside her, a quiet consolation. Tsuki woke up, trotting over to her partner and whinnying in protest, as if saying, _It's too cold, let's go home now! _She gently nudged Chizu with the tip of her nose, urging her to get up. Chizu sniffed softly, wiping her eyes dry with the sleeve of her jacket.

She wordlessly stood up, saddling Tsuki with the Spirit of Rain by her side. Chizu swung a leg over the top of the mare's back and grabbed the reins, coaxing her to get moving. They weaved through the trees the same way they came, passing by the snowcapped wood. It wasn't before long that they were back at the house. As Chizu led Tsuki to the stables, the Spirit of Rain noticed a presence.

"_Master,_" The Spirit of Rain started. Chizu closed the stable door behind her, looking up at her spirit ally. "_Someone is coming. I do not know who._" Chizu reflexively became on edge. Coming? Who would come all the way out here? Unless...

"Yo! Are you Chizu?"

Chizu turned her head to look at the person. The voice wasn't familiar, but the face... the face, kami! He looked just like... him.

"Who are you?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. Those were the exact same words she spoke to him two years ago. The boy approaching her seemed around her age, dressed in a dirty green button up jacket. He had chocolate hair that reached his shoulders, with long bangs on either side of his face. He had large orange headphones on his head, and wore a ridiculously wide grin. He waved at her, with his spirit ally in ball form beside him. He jogged up to her, scratching the back of his head. The boy seemed to be alone.

"I'm Asakura Yoh. Nice to meet you!" He explained cheekily. Chizu, however, was still wary.

"Asakura?" She questioned, eyebrow raised and heart beating fast. Asakura... that couldn't mean... he was related to... Hao?

"Yep! I'm here to deliver a letter from my twin brother, Hao."

Twin... brother? Chizu's heart skipped a beat. No wonder they looked so alike! But... a letter. From Hao? After so long? She almost couldn't believe it. She pinched herself on the back of her hand hard, so hard that her nails pierced her skin. She wasn't dreaming. Chizu bit down on her lip to keep herself together.

Yoh looked at her strangely. "Oi, are you okay? You want the letter or not?" He waved a hand in front of her.

"Yes!" Chizu cried out suddenly, diving for the envelope he held in his hand. However, before she could snatch it away from him, he held it out of her reach.

"Nuh uh!" Yoh joked around, sticking his tongue out. "Is that any way you greet a person?" Chizu frowned. She had forgotten. It'd been so long since she'd last seen a person that she'd almost forgotten her manners.

"Forgive me," She apologized meekly. "It's just that... I haven't seen anyone in two years, it came to me as a surprise when you came." Yoh nodded understandably

"Well, you should like this letter then," Yoh grinned again, holding it out to her. "After all, I was with him when he wrote it! Hao seemed really sincere when he was writing it. He even asked me for advice! You should've seen him, up all night writing a letter. I thought he was going insane. After all, it's not every day you see him so concentrated on one thing." Chizu looked at him in wonder. Hao? Concentrated? She would have laughed out loud if she weren't so shocked. "His eyebrows were knitted together and he kept erasing paragraph after paragraph, and he kept muttering about how stupid he was. You must've had a really strong impact on him if he acted like that!" Yoh concluded, laughing.

Chizu managed a shaky chuckle in reply, slowly reaching out for the letter with shaky hands. _To my Dearest Chizu_, it said on the front of the envelope. It was written in his handwriting, the oh-so-familiar loops and the way he wrote her name. The way the C was written to resemble a 6. She held it close to her like it was something precious, something so special that she'd die without it. Yoh gave her another weird look. She almost reverently opened the envelope, sliding the piece of paper out, handling it with care. It was him. No doubt about it. His handwriting still remained the same despite the years, and she could almost catch a whiff of his scent on it. She knew she was being crazy, but that's what happens to one after two years of no contact with anyone.

_My Dearest Chizu,_

_I sincerely apologize for not contacting you sooner. I know you have waited for me for so long, so many years, and I have no excuse for what I have done. You have no idea how much I've missed you..._

_The one delivering the letter is my twin brother, Yoh. It's a long story, one that I will tell you once I come back. Yes, I **am** coming back. For now, I suppose I should explain why I left._

_It was stupid and silly, now that I look reflect back on it. I left merely because I was afraid. I was scared of what we had, that it would weaken me and make me rethink my conquest for obtaining the Great Spirits. Before I left, I dreamed. I dreamed that I was missing, and that you were so scared. So scared, you were shivering, shaking like you were suffering from a severe case of hypothermia. You tried to tell someone, but no one listened; no one cared. No one would mind if the evil Hao just suddenly died. I awoke with this fear; what am I leaving when I'm done here? _

_It was so strange, so confusing. I was so blinded I didn't even stop to think how it would affect you. After I left, I went to gather the rest of my followers, and then headed onwards to participate in the Shaman Fight. In the end, I fought against Yoh, who tried valiantly (yet futilely, don't tell him I said that) to defeat me. I won, of course. Despite being the victor, the Great Spirits demanded that I show some sort of... **goodness** in me, I suppose you could say, before I was crowned Shaman King. This was after Patch Village disappeared, by the way. So I was forced to do a number of good deeds (which were extremely boring, might I say) before I could rightfully claim my throne. That took me about another extra year. Not one day has passed that I haven't thought about you; your face haunts my mind, your laughter nostalgic whenever I see someone laughing._

_Who was I to make you wait? I think to myself so frequently. Just one chance, just one breath... what if there's just one left? And I just want you to know that I love you. I've loved you all along, and I've missed you... I've been far away for too long. I've dreamed that you'll be with me, and you'll never go, never leave my side, never again... And you know that I'd withstand all of hell just to hold your hand. _

_My point is, Chizu, I love you, and I'll never regret loving you. Ever. I will come when once Spring rolls around. You know how the Spirit of Fire can't stand the snow, though it is a pity. I'm not sure when my ototou will reach you, but I will be guessing that it will be on or around your birthday. If it is passed, I deeply apologize for the late wishes. However, should it come before or on your birthday, then I wish you a good few more months before I come back. _

_Until I see you then. When I do I'll have a gift for you._

_Love,_

_Hao_

Tears flowed freely from her eyes. She could no longer contain them. After two years, two years of no contact... finally... one shred of hope. Yoh stared at her in a somewhat pitiful way, frowning slightly. Tsuki snorted behind her, bringing Chizu back to reality.

"Oh, uh..." Chizu stammered awkwardly, letting her arms fall to her sides, her right hand still holding the letter. "Sorry, how rude of me. Do you want to come inside? Or do you have to go?" She offered. She smiled nervously, scratching the back of her head.

"Some hot chocolate would be great, thanks! Or some oranges if you have some*," Yoh replied enthusiastically, smiling. His spirit murmured "Yoh-dono..." in the background disapprovingly.

Chizu led him inside, thinking ruefully of how she was unsure if she had any hot chocolate mix left. Or oranges, for that matter. Letting Yoh sit down in the living room, she threw a few dried logs into the fireplace and struck a match, throwing it onto the wood, causing them to burst into flames and fill the room with light and warmth. As the shadows began to dance around her, she gave Yoh a small smile and headed towards the kitchen, where she miraculously found some [outdated] hot chocolate mix, which she mixed in with hot water, pouring it into two mugs which she carried back out.

Yoh happily accepted it, drinking in deeply, savoring the taste (even though Chizu knew it was at least a year expired). She took a timid sip of her own, discovering that the taste had not gone down despite the years. After a few more minutes, Yoh put his emptied cup on the moderately-sized coffee table in the middle of the living room, standing up and stretching.

"Thanks for the coffee!" He said joyfully, flashing yet another smile at her. Did he ever _not_ smile? Chizu thought to herself. "I'd love to stay, but I have to go now. I have to get back and make dinner before Anna makes me run 30 laps around the town again," Yoh added, his smile faltering a bit as he imagined all the work she'd force him to do.

"Anna?" Chizu asked. She couldn't help herself; a girl who could boss around a guy must be one tough cookie. Especially the twin brother of Asakura Hao.

"Yeah. She's my fiancée. Anna's an itako trained under my grandmother. We've been engaged for a few years now," Yoh explained. He headed towards the door, wiping his shoes off respectfully. Itako huh... she'd wanted to be an itako before she decided to become a shaman, but hell, itakos were always the kind to study inside** and learn from masters and books and whatnot; she wanted to be outside, to be one with nature. Being a shaman allowed her to do that.

"Well, ja ne!" Yoh called, snapping her out of her thoughts. She raised her hand a few seconds too late, as he had already bolted out the door and was jogging at a steady pace out of the woods and towards the town.

--

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. Within no time, Spring had come once again, and with it the arrival of the birds and the animals coming out of hibernation. Chizu smiled-- she loved this time of the year. The flowers bloomed and everything was green again, after seeing the white landscape for so long.

Today she was dressed in a simple light blue t-shirt made of thin cotton and a knee-length white skirt, with her hair tied up in a loose bun atop her head. She stepped outside, breathing in the fresh air and spinning around once, reveling in the warmth on her skin after so long. The Spirit of Rain floated nearby, gazing at its master in admiration.

It had been three months since she had gotten that letter from Hao. She had waited patiently for this day to arrive, always anticipating what she would do, what she would wear, how she would act, what she would say. He still hadn't come yet, even though the snow melted away at least three weeks ago. The grass outside her humble home was swaying gently in the breeze, the trees dancing with each other, as if in a joyful mood today. The corners of her lips curled up in a smile. She absolutely _adored_ the springtime.

"_Master_," The Spirit of Rain said suddenly, its voice laced with recognition. "_Master Hao is back!_" Chizu's head snapped up at that. Hao! She craned her neck towards the direction that the Spirit of Rain was facing, and sure enough, there he was.

He walked with a confident stride, his face blank but his eyes shining with mirth. His outfit was the same as two years ago; the same red pants with chains, the same worn down tan cloak flapping around his perfect body. He still had on those huge rounded star insignia earrings hanging from his earlobes.

Chizu stood still. Time stopped. Sure, nature kept going around her, but for her, she couldn't see anything but him. After what seemed like a lifetime he reached her, staring into her dark eyes. The pair were speechless. Before she could react, Hao pulled her into a tight embrace, wrapping his strong arms around her, holding her close to him.

"I've missed you so much..." He whispered into her ear huskily. Chizu returned the hug, savoring the feel of being with him again after so long. Nostalgia flooded her senses and her heart beat faster, the thrill of it in her blood.

"I've missed you too," Chizu murmured back, her voice cracking a bit on the last word. This only made him hold her tighter, reassuring her.

"I have a gift," Hao said softly, pulling away from her. He had gotten taller; before, Chizu had only been an inch or two shorter than him. Now he stood at least a good three or four inches higher. She didn't notice as Hao pulled a small box out of his pocket, holding it with a closed fist. He opened it, revealing the delicate silver diamond ring inside that glinted in the midday sun. "Will you be my Shaman Queen?" He asked, embarrassed.

Chizu smiled a real, true smile, one that lit up her face and filled her eyes with happiness. She threw her arms around his neck, giving him a quick kiss to confirm her answer. "Of course silly. I love you," She replied softly. Hao chuckled, a smirk creeping onto his face.

"I love you too, my dearest Chizu," He murmured as he reached down and wrapped an arm around her waist and brought his lips to hers.

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***: It's mentioned in the manga that Yoh likes (or is well... obsessed...) oranges, but not in the anime. Just thought I'd add it in there. **

****: I don't necessarily know if that's true or not, I was just guessing. I really think that they need to be "one with nature" too, but I'm not too sure on that. I didn't read the manga, don't sue me D:**

**Thank you for reading! Please review!  
**


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